Commonwealth experts gearing up for D-day

The five-member commonwealth expert team (CET) which arrived in Colombo on Tuesday to observe the January 26 Presidential election will send teams to the refugee camps in Vavuniya and also keep track of pre and post-poll incidence of violence.

Sources told HT that the team, which includes the chief electoral officer of Andhra Pradesh, IV Subba Rao, has already been apprised of possible poll-related violence in east, south and Colombo regions.

The expert team is being led by former Jamaican foreign minister KD Knight.

The other three members are Cynthia Barrow-Giles, lecturer in political science (University of the West Indies, Barbados), lawyer Jane Michuki from Kenya and Tim Neale, a media expert from UK.

Sources added that the five members are lined up to meet members of political parties, civil society, domestic election observers like the PAFFREL and CAFFE in the next few days.